The first Monday in July has become a firm favourite as a day for members of the Nehemiah Club (N-Club) to gather for lunch and meet the new Provincial Grand Scribe Nehemiah designate. On a warm and sunny day, 10 members of the club from across the Province arrived at The Italian Orchard restaurant in Broughton near Preston, just ahead of Mike Fox, the next Scribe Nehemiah of the Province of West Lancashire.
Whilst the two-course lunch menu was being studied and orders taken, the N-Club members greeted Mike Fox and started the process of getting to know him and for Mike to start asking those all important questions regarding Royal Arch ritual, responses to toasts, the address to the companions and basically what is expected of the holder of this very senior acting Provincial appointment.
The conversations between members were lively and very Royal Arch focused, as the 10 N-Club members made their way to the rear of the restaurant and to the very familiar long table set out specially for the club.
Following grace given by club stalwart John McGibbon, N-Club Secretary John Topping welcomed everyone, especially Mike Fox, to the occasion and read out the names of those members who had sent him their apologies for absence at this lunch.
During the starter course, John thanked everyone for their attendance, especially welcoming John McGibbon who was Provincial Grand Scribe Nehemiah some 30 years ago, closely followed by Keith Lowson (28 years ago), Ian Cuerden (25 years ago) and Roger Perry (21 years ago). It was convenient that Mike Fox and John McGibbon were able to sit together and for Mike to hear of how the role was undertaken three decades ago. At that time the role did not allow for representations at installations and it was not a particularly active role overall.
John Topping invited Mike Fox to tell everyone a little bit about himself; which was very interesting and enjoyed by everyone. John passed around his latest version of the N-Club database for members to update their contact details and for any changes in rank information. He spoke about the second N-Club lunch of the year which will take place in October, to which wives and partners are invited. John passed around a ‘date for the diary’ reminder card which reminds members of the 12 October N-Club event.
During the main course, members spoke affectionately of their former colleague David Harrison who attended the July N-Club meeting in 2025 and then sadly passed away some 10 days later.
As the 2026 July lunch came to an end, Ian Cuerden offered a vote of thanks to John Topping for the manner in which he had managed the communications and organisation of this N-Club gathering at the Italian Orchard restaurant.